Slight Detour
by Goldenrod
Summary: Tahu and Kit's already strained friendship is put to the test when they're both captured.
1. Kit's Dark Secret

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, only Kit and Jester.

* * *

Awareness began to return to him. The first thing he noticed was that it was dark ––pitch black–– but he didn't know why. The reason came to him when he tried opening his eyes; they were closed. Woozily, he forced his vision to clear and focus. Finally fully conscious, he examined his surroundings. Wherever he was, it wasn't outside of Karda Nui. He appeared to be in some kind of dungeon or cell made completely out of stone. The air was a little musty, but breathable, and the only source of light was a barred window several feet above. Try as he might, he couldn't see the ceiling of his prison. 'Judging from how high that window is and the fact that I can't even see the top, this is a tower of some sort,' he thought to himself. It was then he belatedly realized he was standing up and couldn't move his arms. Taking a look at himself, he saw he was held that way by a pair of shackles on his wrists, both arms bent at ninety degree angles. He could feel the cold of the stone wall against his back. On impulse, he tried to free himself and pulled and tugged, but his restraints didn't so much as give an inch.

"Oh, finally, you're awake," said a familiar voice.

Refocusing his attention to the floor, he found a small figure sitting, a figure whom he knew. "Kit? Where are we?" asked Tahu.

"That's what I'd like to know."

"How did we get here? Where are the others?"

"The last thing I remember, we just barely managed to get out of Karda Nui in time and we were taking a breather when this weird portal or vortex appeared in midair and some kind of bolt zaps out at me. The next thing I know, I'm here with you. I don't know about the others. Who do you think put us here and why?"

"I don't know, but we're getting out."

Deciding to try Plan B, Tahu made the temperature in his wrists shoot several hundred degrees, intending to melt his cuffs. To his astonishment, they weren't even softening. He tried increasing the heat to several thousand degrees, still nothing. "I don't get it," he said. "Even protosteel would be starting to dissolve by now." If it weren't for the metal now being far too hot for her to touch, Kit would've examined them to see if she could somehow get the Fire Toa loose. "Kit, can you blast a way out?" asked Tahu.

"I'll try," Kit replied, and fired an energy ball—only to almost not dodge it in time after it ricocheted back at her. Girl and Toa just stared in shock. "Ok . . . not going to do that again," said Kit. "Not unless we want to play a round of energized racquet ball."

"What is going on here?" Tahu growled as he tried again to break free of his shackles. It seemed they were both restrained in ways that they couldn't free themselves—Tahu in irons that wouldn't melt, and Kit, amazingly, couldn't shoot through the stone that made up their prison. Or rather, what appeared to be stone.

"Whatever this is, it's not rock," Kit pointed out as she felt the wall.

"Are you sure?"

"Tahu, I've blasted through rock far more times than I've bothered to count; it's a cinch. It looks like rock, it even _feels_ like rock, but it's not rock."

Suddenly, without warning, a swirl of purple and yellow appeared in the middle of the room, accompanied by a playful laugh and the jingling of bells. In a flash, Kit was between the Toa and the miniature tornado, hands glowing with energy, ready to attack. The swirls coalesced into the humanoid form of a man wearing, of all things, a courtly jester's outfit, complete with the funny hat with bells. "Lady and Toa, welcome to my humble abode," he greeted with a big smile. "Here you'll be free to do whatever you wish whenever you wish, so long as it doesn't involve breaking out since there's no possible way you can." Looking to the pair before him, he noticed that they were just staring at him as if he was crazy. "What? Is there a big spot on my nose? Did I grow another head that I'm not aware of or something?" he asked.

"Who the heck are you?" asked Kit.

"Oh, seriously, where are my manners?" he said, smacking his forehead. "Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Jester. Everyone does, actually."

"Why are we here?" Tahu demanded. "What do you want from us?"

"Now, now, Toa Tahu, there's no need to get all fired up. Ha, get it? Fired up."

Jester burst out laughing at his joke, whereas Kit and Tahu just looked at each other. Of the two them, Kit probably would've giggled, but, under the circumstances, she was not in a laughing mood. 'This guy's seriously demented,' she said to herself.

Just then, Jester stopped when he realized that they weren't joining in. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongues?" he asked. Kit and Tahu just frowned, the girl crossing her arms in front of her. "Sheesh, tough crowd," Jester gave in. "Anyway, to get back to our pleasant discussion, I don't want anything from either of you, aside from the pleasure of having you both as my honored guests, which is the reason why you're here."

"'Guests' my mask," Tahu scoffed. "'Prisoners' is what you mean."

"Technicalities, technicalities," Jester simply shrugged. "Alright, I admit it. I transported you two here as my prisoners; are you happy now?"

"Not quite," said Kit as she stepped forward.

Jester, curious as to what she had in mind, cocked his head to one side. Then the girl fired twin energy balls. With a yelp, Jester dodged them by spinning around and around. Kit watched him, perplexed as he kept spinning, as if off balance, toward her. The next thing she knew, she was suddenly flung to the floor as one of Jester's arms struck her backside. Kit groaned and rubbed her new sore spot, Jester's laughter resonating in the chamber. 'That crazy spinning was meant to get me to let my guard down,' she realized. 'He was never off balance.'

Tahu, having enough of this crazy man, resumed his struggles against his restraints. "Oh, I must suggest that you not bother wasting your strength doing that," Jester said when he saw what the Fire Toa was doing. "You see, not only are they so formidably made that you will never break free of them, they're designed so that they will never melt. Your fire is useless against them." He then turned to Kit. "And, I wouldn't use my powers on these walls, if I were you. Just like your friend's shackles, I created these walls to be able to repel your attacks," he casually warned. "Now, if you two will excuse me for a while, I need to go," and he left in the same fashion as he arrived.

"I've heard of having bats in your belfry, but that guy is just ridiculous," said Kit. Despite Jester's advice, Tahu tried once more to get his hands free, to no avail. The girl took a look at the shackles, but they were still a little too hot for her to touch. So, she slumped down to the floor next to the Toa and tried to think. With the Fire Toa unable to free himself and her powers ineffective against the walls, the two had no choice but to sit tight and try to come up with something else.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a realm that looked like it was made out of nothingness, Jester materialized. "Just thought you'd like to know that the abduction was a success," he said seemingly to no one. "I have the girl and Toa of Fire."

"Good," said a female voice.

"How long do I need to hold onto them?"

"Until I get what I want, which, with the Protector out of the way, shouldn't be that difficult, so stop complaining."

"Hey, relax will ya. Who's complaining? Or, didn't you hear me say '_need_ to' and not '_have_ to'? I haven't gotten to do something like this in a long time. Heck, who knows? They may prove to be so entertaining, I might end up keeping them longer than required."

"Just don't underestimate the girl. She's very formidable with her powers and combat skills, plus she's not the type you want to push too far."

"Don't worry; I've got it taken care of. I swear, you can be so uptight sometimes."

He laughed at his own joke while his partner growled in response.

"Spare me the jokes."

"Boy, you're an even bigger spoilsport than those two. The kid's lips didn't even form a grin. I must be losing my touch, or something."

"This is not a laughing matter; this is serious business. Why can't you ever take things seriously?"

"'Serious' is so boring and stiff. Where's the fun in that?"

"I'll have you know that calling you was a last resort."

"And, I'll have you know that this isn't the first time you've called me to do you a little favor, and, I'm betting, it won't be the last."

"Ugh, why did I ask you for help?"

"Because deep down, you can't resist my humorous antics and charm."

Suddenly, Jester got the feeling that he may have gone too far. He sensed something had changed, and not in a good way. He knew what the chill he felt meant—she was mad. "Kidding. Just kidding," he smiled nervously, holding up his hands.

"Just hold onto them until I have what I seek," said the voice. "After that, send them back, keep them, do whatever you want with them. I don't care." The chill slowly died down and he could no longer feel her presence. She was gone.

* * *

Back at their prison, Kit was trying to see if she could coax the shackles loose now that they had cooled off. "Sorry, Tahu, no such luck," she said resignedly.

"How about your energy powers? Maybe you could, I don't know, focus a beam to cut through them?"

"Tahu, I've never done anything like that before."

"Ever tried?"

"No, and unless you want to risk losing a hand, I'd rather not take a chance to test out your theory right now."

The Toa of Fire was about to argue some more when Jester appeared.

"So, how do you find the accommodations, so far?"

"Lousy," said Kit, glaring at him.

"Oh, come now, it can't be that bad."

"Try staying in here for several hours and see how you like it."

"Sorry, kid, dungeons aren't my style."

As quick as the eye could blink, Kit fired seven energy balls. Jester, amazingly, simply side-stepped them all with an amused chuckle and let them ricochet off the wall behind him. Seeing most of them heading right back at her, Kit gasped. Tahu, thinking quickly, activated his mask power, shielding both him and the girl from the balls that exploded harmlessly off of it. Once they were all gone, the Toa let his forceshield down. Kit got into position for a DragonBall-style energy ball. Tahu started—why was she trying another, and more powerful, technique?—but he kept silent. He knew Kit; she had to have a plan. 'At least, I hope she does,' he thought to himself, since the girl had to know by now that any of her attacks could end up getting them killed.

Kit fired the ball, Jester dodged it effortlessly again, and it bounced back at her. This time Kit was prepared and summoned her shield. With a shift in her stance, she made the ball rebound right at Jester. Not expecting that at all, Jester had no other choice but to take the hit and was sent to the ground. Just after he managed to clear the stars out of his vision, he found himself tackled by Kit. The girl threw some punches, which Jester blocked by rocking side to side with his arms out in front of him. He grabbed hold of her wrists and sat her up. Kit screamed in surprise when he sent her into the air with a kick and flip-twisting maneuver. She came down hard to the ground on her frontside, wheezing as the wind got knocked out of her. Tahu gasped in concern, but calmed down a bit when he saw she wasn't seriously hurt.

"Ouch," said Jester, rubbing his arms and stomach. "You sure can hit, and that burned."

"You think that burned? Wait till I use my elemental power on you," Tahu threatened.

"You have to admit, that was quite a risky move she just did, Toa Tahu. Things could've turned out far worse than they did, yet you let her go through with her plan, a plan you had no knowledge of. Do you really trust her that much?"

Tahu gazed at Jester for a moment, puzzled. What was trust to him? Why did he care? "Of course I do. I trust her with my life," he answered, though he wasn't sure why.

"Makes sense since you just did. That's quite interesting considering you didn't seem to trust her and the Toa Mahri enough to tell them the truth about where you were going."

"How do you know about that?"

"But, then again, they say a web of deceit within a group setting makes the story all the more interesting. Especially, when there's more than one spinner."

"What in the world is that supposed to mean?"

"Simply that you're not the only one with dark secrets."

Jester paused to glance at Kit out of the corner of his eye. Tahu glimpsed at her as well before returning his attention to Jester, bewildered. Why did he look at her like that? What did Kit have to do with his last statement?

"You see, Tahu," Jester continued, "your young friend, Kit, who you just admitted to trusting with your very life, knew all along what was going to happen to your village on the Mata Nui island."

"Shut up," Kit whispered, her diaphragm still recovering from the fall.

But, Jester persisted, "She knew from the get-go that your village was going to be destroyed in the manner it was, when it was going to happen, and by what—and she didn't tell anybody, not a soul! She didn't even warn you of your village's impending doom, and she has the nerve to be mad at you for telling her a simple little white lie?"

The Toa of Fire gawked; he couldn't believe it, "No, it's not true." He shifted his focus on the girl, "Please, Kit, tell me it's not true." Unfortunately, Kit just gazed at him with shame before she looked down at the ground without saying a word. There was nothing to say.

"Ah, the silence is so reassuring," Jester said. "I'll just let you two sort this out," and he vanished.

Several quiet and extremely uneasy minutes passed, minutes that felt like an eternity, in the cell. The silence hung like a heavy blanket. Though Kit and Tahu were just feet away from each other, they felt like they were continents apart. Both had their heads bowed, lost in their own private thoughts. While the Toa of Fire was still reeling from Jester's revelation, Kit kept wondering what was going to happen now that the beans were spilt. Knowing the Toa leader, things would no doubt get a little more strained between them.

"You knew?" Tahu finally spoke. His voice, though level, carried a subtle sense of anger and betrayal. "You knew all along, and you never thought to tell anyone, not even me?"

"I couldn't," Kit replied.

"What do you mean you couldn't?"

"Tehreisha wouldn't let me."

"Tehreisha?"

"Yes. I was about to alert Gali when she contacted me telepathically. She told me that part of my job as a Protector is to make sure the story does not change. If it's written in any way, shape, or form, I have to make sure it happens when it's supposed to, whether I like it or not. And, unfortunately, Ta-Koro's destruction was a part of the plot, so I had to let it happen, otherwise, according to Tehreisha, I would've caused the same kind of imbalance I'm sworn to prevent."

A nervous pause followed before Kit continued. "I didn't want it to happen, Tahu—I really didn't—and I still feel awful about it, especially when I think about the pain it caused you and the Ta-Matoran, but I had no choice."

"And yet, considering the secret knowledge you kept, you, as I believe you phrase it, bit my head off for lying back on the beach of Voya Nui," Tahu grumbled bitterly. Indignation rushing through her like a tidal wave, Kit sprung to her feet with the agility of a Muaka and got right in front of Tahu's mask—at least as best as she could considering the Toa was a few feet taller than her.

"Don't you even dare go there, Toa Tahu Nuva," she threatened.

The Fire Toa had the decency to flatten himself against the wall, genuinely taken aback at the girl's outburst; she had never called him by his full title before. Her glaring eyes speared into his like daggers and her low voice was the most ominous he'd ever heard it. "What you and I did is as different as the sun and the moon, night and day, Mata Nui and Teridax. You _chose_ to lie about what you knew; I didn't. I was duty-bound to keep what I knew a secret; _you_ were not. I didn't have any other options; _you_ did." Her tirade done, Kit turned and slowly walked to the far end of the cell. As if her legs just suddenly lost all of their strength, she let herself drop down in the shadows. Her back was facing him and she leaned against the wall. "Maybe now you know how I felt when I found out the truth," she said in a calmer tone. Tahu wasn't sure, but he thought Kit's voice sounded a bit tight and heard a very quiet whimper. He let out a deep sigh, unsure of what to think anymore.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the 'nothingness' realm, Jester observed the happenings through a clear circle he held in his hands, almost like a crystal ball. 'Am I good, or am I _good_?' he thought to himself with a grin. The seed had been planted, now all that was left was to let it grow and fester. The ball dissolved away as he decided to just lay back and relax for a while to relish what he had accomplished. He absolutely loved creating chaos, distrust, and antagonism, especially the kind bred from the deception between people who thought they could rely on one another. Now that the Fire Toa knew about what Kit did, their resentment would thrive to the point where they would destroy each other. He smiled at the grandness of his intricate design. Personally, he didn't understand beings like Mirna who faced their opponents head-on and ran the risk of having what happened to Darcius happen to them. Getting your enemies to do the dirty work for you was so much easier than doing it yourself, and a lot less painful and tiring.


	2. Rebuilding Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, just Kit, Jester, and Mirna.

* * *

In the dungeon, nothing had changed. Kit remained where she sat, not even moving. Tahu wasn't sure how much time had passed since the two had their little 'talk', but he knew it had to have been a long while—and the sense of quiet that once again seemed to drive a wedge between them was driving him crazy. In the past, he would've responded by futilely continuing to try to free himself, cursing all the while. However, Tahu had learned a lot in the last several months; he was not the Toa of Fire he once was. Therefore, the time lapse gave him some time to calm down and think. True, he was mad that the girl didn't do anything, not even give him, Vakama, or anyone a clue as to Ta-Koro's fate. But, she said that Tehreisha forbade her from doing so because it was part of her responsibilities as a Protector. With the sincerity in her eyes, could he really blame her for that? No; she didn't make the rules, she didn't ask for Ta-Koro to be destroyed, let alone be forced to keep it a secret. Thinking back, he remembered how Kit not only apologized, but also sat by his side for a while as the village sunk beneath the lava. All of this time, he thought she simply felt sorry for him. Now, he realized that it was guilt she was acting out of, not pity—guilt because she felt responsible for just letting something terrible happen when she had the power to change it, but was not allowed out of concern for the greater good.

'Speaking of which, wasn't it out of the greater good that I lied to her and the Toa Mahri?' he reflected. As he and Gali explained back at Karda Nui, as much as they would've liked to tell their comrades the truth, he and his team knew doing so would mean they would insist on coming with them. Plus, in order to insure that the Great Spirit would awaken, they needed the Mask of Life. However, the kanohi was lost at the bottom of the ocean at the time and had to be retrieved, and the only ones who could do that were Kit and the Mahri. The Toa Nuva of Fire had to admit that he and Kit were a lot alike, more than he ever guessed. They were both brave, stubborn, guardians, cared deeply for their friends, and placed in positions where they'd been forced to make difficult choices and live with the consequences. 'Not to mention she's also kind of like Matoro,' he thought to himself, recalling how the Toa Mahri of Ice, as a Matoran, also bore the burden of secret knowledge and was prohibited from repeating anything he learned at the Turaga's councils, even if his friends might've profited from it.

"Just tell me one thing, Kit," he said. "Did you know about Metru Nui? That the Turaga were once Toa? Mata Nui dying? Voya Nui? Anything about that beforehand?" The girl didn't even turn to face him, keeping her back to the Toa.

"Why bother? You wouldn't believe me."

"Let me be the judge of that."

A long, hesitant moment passed before Kit finally replied, "No. The most I knew of the story was the conclusion of the Mask of Light saga. Anything after that, I didn't have a clue, and that's the truth, I swear—a lot of good that does now."

The Fire Toa, satisfied with her answer, again visually took in everything he could of their prison in an attempt to find a means of escape. Begrudgingly, he admitted to himself that he wished he had Kopaka's scope. When he slightly shifted his position, he thought he felt something like a groove in the wall that perfectly fit the shape of his lower arm. He craned his neck as far as he could to get a view of what it was. There, in the wall like it had been melted in, was indeed a groove right where his arm was pinned. A plan started to form in his mind as he looked at his human companion and the barred window high above—one that he was certain Gali would not approve of if she were there. 'But, she's not here,' he thought with a smirk. "Kit, I think I know how we can get out of here, but I'm going to need your help," Tahu revealed.

Kit looked at him incredulously; the proud Toa Nuva of Fire, the leader of his team, actually asking for help? 'I never thought he knew of such a word,' she said to herself. Getting to her feet, she asked, "Ok, who are you and what have you done with Toa Tahu?"

"I'm serious, Kit. I have an idea, but not only do we need to work together; we need to trust each other."

Kit smiled, "Will you relax? I was just kidding. What do you have in mind?"

The Fire Toa explained his simple plan as such: Kit couldn't use her powers on the cell walls, but his seemed to affect them, especially if he concentrated hard enough. He couldn't melt his way out of his shackles, but there was a chance her powers could get them off. And, he had the inexplicable feeling that the window maybe their only way out if they could do something about the bars. So—she would free him and he'd get them both up to the window where they'd break out. Although, there was one little problem. "I told you, Tahu, I can't do it; my powers don't work that way," she protested, eyes wide in response to the Toa's repeated suggestion of cutting him loose.

"Any better ideas?"

"Just one."

At first, Tahu wondered what the Protector had in mind when she made her way to the far end of the prison. But, when she braced herself to release a couple of energy balls, it came to him—she was going to attempt to fire her powers from a distance. Once again, he was going to have to put his trust in her capabilities.

"You ready?" she asked.

"No, but do I have a choice?" he responded.

And with that, Kit took a deep breath to try to calm herself long enough to focus as she lifted her palms out before her. This was going to be tricky, aiming for such a distinct target; one centimeter too far or too close, and she would either miss or wind up blowing his head off instead. Tahu, meanwhile, forced himself to remain completely still and braced himself for impact. On her end, Kit forced herself to take her time, feeling the balls building and charging up in her hands. Finally, they shot off, streaking towards the Toa, and, with twin sounds of metal breaking into shards, shattered the shackles like they were made of glass. She let out a breath of relief while Tahu massaged his sore wrists. "Now my turn," he said, and fired twin streams of fire at full blast on the window. The heat was so intense, Kit had to stand back. Several minutes passed in this fashion, with the Fire Toa still shooting fire from his palms.

"How are you doing?" Kit asked, a little anxious.

"I think I almost got it," Tahu replied.

Finally, the last of the bars dissolved. Shutting off his fire, Tahu knelt down, allowing Kit to climb onto his back. He got as far back from the wall before him as he could and sprinted. "Ready for a big jump?" he rhetorically inquired and made a powerful leap. He bounced off the wall to the opposite side and bounced off again back at the wall, landing right at the window. "Hang on, this is going to be a little complicated," Tahu said as he carefully proceeded to slip through. He was about to heat up his hands so as to create handholds to climb down when the entire tower evaporated, leaving them floating in a void.

* * *

In his own private place, Jester hummed merrily to himself. "Let's see how those two are doing," he thought aloud. He summoned and gazed into the sphere. What he saw took him completely by surprise—the tower was gone and Tahu and Kit were gazing about themselves in the middle of nothing. "They managed to escape? But how?" Jester wondered. He was certain that, with the revelation about the girl's secret to the Toa, those two would be so focused on their betrayals to one another that it would keep them occupied for a good long while, maybe even lead up to an entertaining brawl. "Guess I'll just have to stop them," he shrugged, and vanished in a swirl of purple and yellow.

* * *

"Where the heck are we now?" asked Kit, unable to believe her eyes.

"I'm not completely sure, but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say we're in some other kind of realm," Tahu replied.

Kit continued to glance around herself, not sure whether to be amazed or disturbed at the fact that this entire world wasn't comprised of anything. It almost seemed to exist, yet not exist, at the same time. Plus, there was the fact that they were just hovering in it. On a whim, she did some backflips and drifted a little ways.

"If it weren't for the creepy . . . landscape, or whatever you want to call it, and not knowing where exactly it is we are, I'd think this is pretty cool. I always wanted to float around in zero gravity like an astronaut."

"What's an astro—never mind. Quit fooling around; we need to find a way out of here and back to the others."

The Toa of Fire urged himself forward, the girl following. They didn't get far, however, when a purple and yellow spiral appeared ahead of them.

"Going somewhere?" Jester asked.

"Yeah, right through you if you don't get out of the way," Kit retorted, having had enough of this freak.

"You're leaving? So soon? But the fun's just beginning."

From a pouch, Jester let loose hundreds of marbles between himself and the girl and Toa. "You've got to be kidding," Tahu said. "I've heard of 'losing your marbles', but honestly." He moved forward to go through the marbles—only to have them explode in a chain reaction-like fashion.

"They're grenades!" Kit shouted, she and Tahu moving back.

Then Jester extended his arm, letting playing cards fly out of his sleeves. Kit hissed, feeling a stinging pain in her arm. There was little cut from where one card glanced by her; they were blades. Immediately, Tahu activated his shield. The cards harmlessly bounced off, along with the explosive marbles that it set off. On his end, Jester shielded himself from the heat of the blasts with his arm. When it passed, he peeked to see what was happening—just in time to see Kit's powered-up knuckles. The punch sent him reeling. "Now that's what I call a knuckle sandwich," said the girl, the glow dissipating from her hand. Tahu followed up with launching fire from his hands. Jester almost didn't recover in time to dodge it. From there, Kit and Tahu managed to keep Jester on his toes using their own individual attacks.

Then, Tahu said, "Now what do you say we show him some _real_ teamwork?" Kit nodded, and they both fired their own respective balls. Fire and energy merged together, creating an energy-fireball. Jester couldn't believe what he was seeing; they actually combined their powers into one effective attack. The result was getting blasted back and feeling pain that both stung and burned at the same time. Even parts of his costume were badly singed.

"Th-this is impossible, unfair," he hissed from the pain. "You two were supposed to . . . be at each other's throats. I studied you, Toa of Fire, learned your quirks, strengths, weaknesses, that sort of thing. Once I spilled the beans about the girl's secret, you were supposed to feel so betrayed that you two would end up fighting each other."

"Then your research is out of date," said Tahu, approaching him. "There was once a time I would've reacted that way, I'll admit. But, I've changed since then. I've learned a lot over the past year, like how it serves no purpose to hold someone responsible for something that was completely out of their control."

Kit grinned and thought to herself, 'Maybe I can learn a thing or two about that from him.'

Tahu grasped the front of Jester's moxley and lifted him up so that they were eye-to-eye. Seeing those burning depths in the Toa's eyes, Jester had the decency to acquire a nervous expression. "You are going to take Kit and me back to our friends, and you're going to do it now," Tahu demanded. "No tricks."

"O-ok," Jester nodded.

Turning behind him, he waved his hand in a half-circle and before them, the same portal appeared. Tahu simply let Jester go, who timidly backed away, and Kit joined him. The two could hardly believe it; after how-many-hours in this wacko's not-so funhouse, they were finally getting back to the Bionicle realm. Kit wondered how long they really were in there, remembering how time passed by at different rates between her reality and the Toa's. Suddenly, Tahu grunted as he was pulled back. Kit turned back around to find the Fire Toa wrapped from shoulders to ankles with a multi-colored piece of fabric—that came from Jester's sleeve. "Had my fingers crossed," Jester chuckled, showing his indeed crossed fingers. In an instant, Kit grabbed hold of Tahu and started pulling.

"Kit, the portal!" Tahu cried.

Looking over her shoulder, the girl saw that the portal was starting to shrink. It would soon vanish. "Which is it going to be, Protector?" asked Jester. "The Toa? Or the portal?"

Seeing what his new game was, and not in any mood for it, Kit snapped. "That does it," she said in an ominous tone, one that Jester didn't like the feeling it gave him. "You kidnapped us, tried to pit us against each other, have a lousy sense of humor. I have had it!" With that declaration, for a brief moment, Kit's entire form was engulfed in a yellowish-gold aura of intense power. Her hands and eyes glowed and the resulting updraft whipped through her hair. Tahu stared in awe; he'd seen Kit in this state before. As for Jester, if he was nervous before, he was absolutely terrified now; Mirna warned him about this part of the girl's powers. First, Kit used an energy ball to slice through the cloth, freeing Tahu. Then, her sights solely focused on Jester, she fired a double sure-shot. Unable to fully dodge it in time, Jester caught a glance of it on his shoulder. A glance was all it took to make him shriek in response to the smoldering pain. He'd forgotten the warning that, in this state, Kit's powers were amplified. The next thing he knew, the girl was rushing at him with a chambered, charged up uppercut. The force of the blow was immense. Why he didn't feel her grab his foot and jerk him back down to her, but felt her hook punch, he didn't know. Another thing he didn't know, when he became aware of it, was how his jaw managed to stay intact. On her end, Kit moved in for another go when Jester held out a hand and mumbled something as if he were trying to speak. "What was that?" she demanded.

Giving a little cough, Jester spoke louder in a raspy voice, "Please, no more. I've had enough." Kit arched an eyebrow inquisitively, as if daring him to confirm it. "I didn't sign up for this," Jester emphasized. "I release you, both of you."

"What do you mean you didn't sign up for this?"

"She approached me, told me she needed you out of the way for just a little while until she got what she wanted. When I looked into the Bionicle realm's history and learned of how you kept Ta-Koro's destruction a secret and learned how upset you were with the Fire Toa and his team lying to you, I came up with the idea of also abducting him. The idea was to get you two fighting each other. She said she needed a chance to get that mask."

"'She' who?"

"Mirna."

Kit's eyes widened in shock; it all made sense. Mirna had Jester keep her and Tahu busy while she searched for the Mask of Life in the Bionicle world. As much as she wanted to pound Jester some more, she now knew that there were more important things to take care of. She joined up with Tahu and the pair proceeded through the now widened portal, hoping that it wasn't already too late.


	3. Over?

Pohatu coughed harshly, gagging on the smoke he was entrapped in. He knew his brother and sister Toa were in the same predicament—he could hear them—but there was nothing he could do to help them. For him, that was frustrating beyond words. Just when he was certain he was going to pass out, a bright light nearly blinded him and a rush of fresh air filled his lungs. He coughed some more, this time to breathe some much needed air. "I'll ask one more time; where is the Mask of Life?" a voice questioned. His breathing finally back under control, the Toa of Stone looked around him on the stone precipice they'd landed on. Satisfied that his friends were alright, he shifted his attention above him, where Mirna hovered. The smoke-woman surprised them shortly after Kit and Tahu disappeared into that strange portal, demanding the location of the missing kanohi. They tried to fight her off, but she soon after managed to engulf them in her smoke, suffocating them.

"We've already told you three times," said Gali. "We don't know where the mask is. We lost track of it after we left the Codrex in Karda Nui."

"Don't take me for a fool, Toa of Water," Mirna scoffed. "There are no lengths you 'heroes' wouldn't go to make sure that such an important artifact as the Ignika was safe. Tell me where you've hidden the mask."

"Kind of difficult-hard to do that since we didn't," Lewa shot back.

Glowering her eyes, Mirna held out her hands. Black bolts of dark energy leaped from her fingertips. When the bolts connected with their chests, the Toa found themselves pinned to the ground and screaming in complete agony as pain raced throughout their bodies. "I'll make this easy for you," said Mirna. "As soon as one of you tells me what I want to know, the bolts stop. I wonder which one of you will be the first to break. Will it be you, Lewa, who has twice had his mind usurped by the touch of evil? First Makuta, then it was the krana. Or you, Takanuva, the rookie of the group and the one who's been tainted by a shadow leech? Or, perhaps you, Kopaka? True, ice can be strong, but, given enough time and heat, it too eventually gives away."

"I've got an idea—how about _you_ be the one to break?" called a voice.

Before Mirna could confirm who it was, she found herself struck hard in the face, forcing her to call off her bolts. Shaking off her blurred vision and feeling the new large tender spot in her cheek, she faced her attacker. Needless to say, she was beyond shocked to discover Kit, with Tahu tending to the others. What really shook her, though, was that the girl was now in that charged up state.

"No! This is impossible! Jester was supposed to be holding you two."

"Yeah, well, he was convinced to save himself a world of hurt by letting us go. And, I mean that literally," Tahu replied.

Kit, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes at Mirna, "Care to take this 'discussion' any further?"

As much as Mirna hated to leave without her prize, she knew full well that she couldn't possibly take on Kit when she was like this. Even her weakest attack would wipe her out five times over. "I'm checking out—for now," she answered. She shifted into her cloud form and drifted away into the distance. Kit watched her until she vanished into the atmosphere. Only then did she allow herself to power down. Weakness taking over, she began to falter and collapse.

Onua was at her side in an instant, catching her. "You ok?" he asked, concerned.

The girl offered a tired smile, "Peachy."

The rest of the Toa gathered around, sharing a little chuckle; they all remembered that time very well and how exhausted the state Kit achieved left her.

"By the way, what happened to you two?" asked Pohatu.

"Kit and I will explain on the way," answered Tahu. "Let's go home."

The team took to the sky and made a beeline for the island city that seemed to be beckoning them to return, their hearts light with joy and relief.

* * *

By the time the team reached Metru Nui not only was Kit's full strength back, but Takanuva's coloring was almost back to normal; the black and gray was receding to the gold and white.

"We made it," said Kopaka, gazing at the familiar structures of the city.

"We're alive," pointed out Pohatu, like he couldn't believe it.

"And, we won!" Lewa exclaimed excitedly.

"Welcome back at last, Toa and Kit," an aged voice greeted.

The heroes turned to see a smiling Turaga Dume approaching them, as if he'd been waiting for them at that very spot the whole time. Within moments, Matoran rushed out of their shelters and gathered around the group. The air was filled with cheering for their protectors, human and Toa alike. After Dume left to locate the other Turaga, Takanuva suddenly realized something. "He never lectured me about leaving my post!"

* * *

In his own realm, Jester rested, 'licking his wounds' so to call it. He carefully felt his jaw, giving a little wince. He then felt his shoulder where the burn was almost gone. He would heal, of course, but the soreness and bruise on his jaw would last for a little over a week and a faint scar would serve as a permanent reminder of what a really ticked off Protector was capable of. 'How the others manage deal with this on a regular basis, I'll never know,' he thought to himself; this was not his idea of fun at all.

Suddenly, the temperature dropped to a near arctic freezing, making him shiver. "You have failed dismally," said Mirna as she materialized. "I expected better from you."

"What can I say? The girl had entered that super mode you told me about, something I was totally unprepared for. She would've beaten me beyond pulp if I didn't cooperate."

"I warned you that would happen if you pushed her too far. And, do you mean to tell me that you just caved in because you didn't want to get hurt?"

"Hey, do you see this bruise, and this burn—which, mind you, was just from getting a glancing blow? Do you honestly think after going through that I was going to stick around for more?"

Mirna narrowed her eyes dangerously, "You disappoint me, Jester. You should've known what I would do to you if you failed to uphold your end of the bargain." When she came closer, Jester began to get really, really nervous.

"Uh . . . don't be so hasty, Mirna. Can't we talk about this?"

"No, we can't."

* * *

On Metru Nui, everyone was getting ready what they could for the event at the Coliseum. Turaga Dume announced that there would be a celebration of the Toa Nuva's triumph and Mata Nui's awakening, as well as a tribute to those Toa who lost their lives in the century-old fight against the Makuta. The atmosphere in the City of Legends was unlike any that hadn't been experienced in eons—peace and a chance for a better future. Kit couldn't recall seeing the Matoran so exhilarated, so full of hope before. Sure there would no doubt be the occasional Rahi or Dark Hunter attack, but otherwise it seemed like things would be fine. The Toa Nuva had achieved their destiny; it was finally over. 'Over,' she thought to herself uncertainly. The word kept repeating itself in her mind like a broken record. She felt torn about how to feel about all of this. She was happy for her friends that, with Mata Nui back in the picture, they could finally live in tranquility and safety. But . . . where did that leave her as the Protector? Did this all mean that the story had come to an end? If so, did that mean her job was done? That she was going to have to leave and never come back, never to see the Toa, Matoran, or Turaga? The other half of her heart was filled with worry at the idea of never returning to this world again. There had to be a way to get some answers to her questions.

Suddenly, hearing Gali call her name snapped her out of her thoughts. "Huh? What?"

The Toa of Water looked at the girl with a concerned expression. "Are you alright? You looked like you were . . . faraway."

Kit sighed, "To be absolutely honest, I'm not sure. I just . . . have a lot on my mind, I guess." Seeing a familiar sight in her peripheral vision, she was struck with an idea. "Gali, can you handle things from here? There's something I've got to take care of real quick."

Gali looked at her young friend oddly, but nodded. "Just be sure you're at the Coliseum in half an hour for the celebration."

Kit winked and left.

* * *

Minutes later, Kit was inside the inner sanctum of the Great Temple. It was quiet and calm, just the way she needed it right now. She fondly smiled upon spotting the Toa Suva; that was where she arrived in the past and her and the Toa Metru's adventures together began, just after they'd become Toa. The recollection also included when she first arrived on the island of Mata Nui; met the Matoran, Toa, and Turaga; the times, adventures, and battles they shared; Darcius; the journey for the Seventh Toa; meeting and being on the run with Vakama and his team; their time as Hordika and the Rahaga; the quest for the Mask of Life; and, finally, her latest exploits in Karda Nui. It all led up to this point in time. "Feels like a lifetime ago," she said quietly to herself, even though she knew only about a year had passed in her world before she was called back. Still, it was hard to believe that it was finished. She stepped up to the Suva and fingered the designs of what appeared to be a map of the city; this was where Nokama translated the riddles to the locations of the Great Disks. With a heavy sigh, she took a seat on the steps, closed her eyes, and steadied her breathing, willing herself to focus. "_Tehreisha_?" she inquired telepathically.

"_I hear you, Kit, and I understand some congratulations are in order._"

"_I need to ask you something._"

"_Go ahead._"

"_With Mata Nui now finally awake and the Makuta defeated, does that really mean it's over? That the story has ended?_"

"_I don't believe so, child. I feel there's still more to come._"

"_So, I don't need to leave for good? Not yet, anyways?_"

"_Is that what you're truly worried about?_"

Kit couldn't help but sheepishly smile in response.

"_Kit, the title and responsibilities of a Protector are not something that just end like that; it's a lifetime commitment. When you agreed to become one, you accepted it for life. Even if the story has reached its conclusion, there's still the chance that more powerful, evil forces could manage to invade and corrupt the realm, therefore you would never be forced to leave and never return. Even if that weren't the case, I could never do that to you, or any Protector, knowing of the lives and friends you tend to make in your respective realms._"

"_So, even with the story finished, a realm's existence still needs to be insured?_"

"_Indeed. You see, Kit, when a realm's storyline reaches completion, it gains a barrier that reinforces its defenses against unwanted outside forces. This makes it harder for them to be invaded than those realms whose finales are yet to be revealed. However, there do exist some very, very powerful entities that, given the chance, are strong enough to still break through that barrier. Therefore, even if they're no longer under as constant threat as they were before, their Protectors are still needed._"

Kit let out a relieved sigh, the great weight on her shoulders seeming to melt away like water. Though the story was over, she would still be able to visit every now and then whenever she could. "_Thanks, Tehreisha_," she said.

"_You're welcome, young First One_," the Gate Guardian replied.

With that resolved, Kit jumped to her feet and sprinted out of the temple in the direction of the nearest chute. She felt like she was moving so fast, she could've sworn that the breeze at her back was actually trying to push her along. Birds tweeted as they flew overhead, flower petals fluttered past, and the ice-covered Knowledge Towers in Ko-Metru glistened as the light from the twin suns seemed to shine brighter. It was almost as if even the world itself was happy not only because the Great Spirit was conscious again after a thousand years, but it hadn't lost its Protector either.

* * *

In the center of the Coliseum, Tahu, Jaller, their teams, Takanuva, and even Kit stood together. The cheering of over a thousand Matoran echoed throughout the arena. Thinking she could barely hear a familiar voice amongst the din of the crowd, Kit peered at the stands and found a Le-Matoran waving—or someone who appeared to be a Le-Matoran. It was Tanma, along with Solek, Photok, and the other Av-Matoran; they made it to Metru Nui afterall. Kit waved back to let him know she saw him. It was then in a rare display of simple, yet intimate, friendship that Tahu gently ruffled her hair. Kit giggled in response; the two had long ago made amends and were friends again.

"So, Kit, where did you run off to earlier?" Gali asked. The girl had just made it to the Coliseum just as the Toa were about to present themselves.

"The Great Temple," she replied. "I needed to speak with Tehreisha about something."

"Is it alright now?"

"Yeah, it's been worked out. In fact, it turned out it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it was."

"That's good," Jaller complimented.

Pride surged through the heroes who participated in the final battle at Karda Nui. Even Kopaka couldn't help but actually smile—to Kit's surprise. 'These guys really have changed,' she thought. Some of the Toa Nuva, especially Tahu and Kopaka, were no longer the Toa she once knew. At least, not as much.

"Now this is what I'm speak-talking about," Lewa said. "This is being a Toa-hero!"

Gali glanced at the Toa Mahri. Without Matoro, they looked . . . incomplete. "I'm just glad we all survived," she said.

Kit noticed that Takanuva seemed to be staring off into space.

"You ok, Taka?"

"Yeah, I just wish that I could remember Toa Lhikan, or got to know Matoro better."

Her expression sombered and she gave an understanding nod.

"It's funny. People tend to think that their friends will live forever, except nothing lasts forever. Heck, who knows? Maybe someday all that we have done, all that we are, will be nothing but faded carvings on some long-abandoned Wall of History."

Kit softly punched him in the arm. "Will you snap out of it, kohliihead? Now's not the time for that kind of thinking. This is supposed to be a celebration, for crying out loud."

"Hey, I'm supposed to call him that," said Jaller. The girl simply grinned mishieviously.

Lewa, wanting to lighten the mood, continued, "I never worry-doubted it. As soon as we arrived-got there and spot-saw those dark-bat losers, I knew it would be as simple-easy as taming a Gukko bird."

"Oh really?" Kopaka asked. "Funny, you didn't seem that confident when you were trying to figure out how to steer the Axalara."

Pohatu joined in with a laugh, "Yeah, how many stalactites did you crash into? Three? Four?"

Kit tried in vain to stifle a snigger of her own; she could see the Toa Nuva of Air rushing to get a handle on an extremely fast and unfamiliar vehicle. "Quiet," Gali shushed. "Turaga Dume's about to speak."

When the aged city elder approached the banister of his box, the Matoran crowd gradually silenced. As he gazed over the assembly and the Toa, Kit thought he looked choked with emotion. 'Yet another thing I thought I'd never see from the most unlikely candidate,' she thought to herself. Dume never struck her as the type who was easily bested by his emotions.

Finally, he got his voice to work, "My friends, we are gathered here today for a great celebration." He gestured to Kit and the Toa. "But, we must do more than honor the heroes who stand before us. We must use this time to remember all who have given their lives to bring us to this point. Toa Matoro, Toa Lhikan, and hundreds of others whose names we may never know fought and died to keep the Brotherhood of Makuta from victory. Without their efforts, none of us would be standing here today. Without their light, shadow would rule the land." A moment of silence and everyone bowed their heads in remembrance and respect for the mentioned fallen heroes. Then Dume continued, "As you all know, more than a thousand years ago, the Makuta struck at the Great Spirit, casting him into a deep slumber and robbing us of his protection and guidance. For this crime, they have paid the ultimate penalty. Now, at last, we are free of them, forever." The cheers that followed were so loud, they rocked the Coliseum's very structure. Dume simply smiled, letting the crowd voice out a happiness that was past overdue. When the Matoran finally calmed down, he spoke again with a wave of his staff at Kit and the Toa. "We have emerged from the darkness and into the light. And, we have the six . . . er, excuse me, seven heroes who stand before us to thank on this great day . . ."

The Turaga trailed off and looked to the sky as a shadow blocked out the light of the twin moons. An ice-cold breeze blew through the arena, forcing Kit to hug herself in her arms and shiver out of instinct. "What's going on?" she wondered aloud, turning to the Toa. Her friends, however, looked confused and troubled. She then realized a sense of dread that swam up and down her spine. She'd felt this cold and the horrible, uncomfortable feeling that accompanied it before—and, until now, she never suspected she'd ever experience it again.

"Look!" Kopaka cried, pointing to the sky. "The stars! Look at the stars!"

Along with everyone else, Kit craned her neck and gazed in astonishment as the stars darted and spun wildly across the sky. 'It looks like the universe itself is being undone and remade at the same time,' she said to herself. The stars then began to slow down and realign themselves into a shape. As they did, her eyes slowly widened and she gasped in disbelief and horror as the shape was revealed. "No way," she breathed. The stars had formed, of all things, the Kanohi Kraahkan, the Mask of Shadows. Teridax's mask.

Tahu couldn't believe what he was seeing either. "This is impossible! Why would the stars shift to look like Makuta's mask? Unless . . ."

"No. No, it couldn't be," said Onua.

"What does this mean?" asked Kit.

"What can it mean?" Gali added.

"I think I can guess," Kopaka answered grimly. "Radiak mentioned that the Makuta wanted Mata Nui to be awakened, but we couldn't guess why. Now Great Beings protect us if I'm right about what has happened . . ."

Suddenly, a booming laugh, one that was dark and humorless, seemed to come from everywhere, every rock, every star, even the ground, sky, and ocean themselves. The Toa brandished their weapons and Kit her energy powers as the Matoran huddled together fearfully in the stands. "Makuta!" Tahu shouted. "We thought you were destroyed, but if we were mistaken, we're ready to correct it! Show yourself!"

Thunder rumbled as a familiar and evil voice replied, "Show myself, little flea? Look around, Toa Tahu—I am everywhere. I am everything you see."

"What new crime have you dared commit now, Makuta?" Dume yelled.

"No crime, wise one," Teridax answered, this time in a voice as soft as a breeze that heralded a coming storm. "Your heroes brought Mata Nui back from death . . . but before his spirit could return to his body, mine slipped in and took its place. And so, when the Toa Nuva awakened Mata Nui, they awakened his body . . . with my mind."

'No,' Kit gasped, unable to believe her ears. This was far worse than she could've ever imagined. The world's greatest threat was now the Great Spirit; this was Teridax's plan all along, where his complex scheming led too. 'I guess it makes sense, in a twisted, evil way,' she thought. 'What better way to get the Matoran to worship him than to actually become the Great Spirit himself?'

The Toa of Ice's cool, icy voice snapped her out of her shock. "We've fought you before, and we'll do so again!" A tremor rumbled through the Coliseum—Teridax was chuckling.

"Will you fight the air you breathe, Toa? The ground you walk on? Understand—I no longer need to fight you in hopes of ruling the universe. I _am_ the universe. Of course, you do have one hope: Mata Nui himself. Too bad for you that I have banished his spirit into the Mask of Life and now I have banished the mask from this universe."

That was when Kit remembered something from when they were escaping from Karda Nui. A golden light had flashed in the very corner of her eye, but it was so brief and the scenery was passing by her so fast, she paid it no mind. 'That must've been the Mask of Life!' she inwardly exclaimed.

A violent quake shook the ground, and all of existence felt a surge of energy flow through it. "I hope you have enjoyed your fleeting moments of happiness, Toa and Kit . . . they are the last you will know for an eternity to come."

Suddenly, Kit felt her alarm turn into righteous anger. This was what Matoro fought so hard to save? This was what he, Lhikan, and countless other Toa got for selflessly sacrificing themselves? This was what she and the Nuva got for busting their butts and surviving Karda Nui? To have the Master of Shadows defile their memory and effort by completely taking over?

"Makuta, if you honestly believe for even a millisecond that we're just going to bow down to you just because you pulled this twisted spirit-switch trick and took Mata Nui's place, you've got another thing coming," she shouted to the heavens, pouring all of her antagonism into her voice. "You seem to have forgotten that Toa—and I—don't give up that easy. Not without a good, hard, and long fight, which is what you're going to have on your hands now."

Lightning streaked across the sky with a crack so loud, Kit had to cover ears. "You were always so brave for one not any older than a newly activated Matoran," Teridax chuckled. "We'll see how far that makes you last." Kit just growled as she glared at the sky, when she heard a voice in her mind. Tehreisha's voice, and she sounded urgent.

"_Quickly, Kit! You must go to the mask now!_"

"_What do you mean 'go to it'?_"

"_The main focus of the story has shifted again. It's following the Mask of Life. You have to leave now, while you have the chance._"

"_But the Toa Nuva . . . my friends-_"

"_You have no choice, Kit. If you don't leave now, Teridax might be able to focus enough to destroy you, or someone else could find the mask. Remember, Mirna's still out there._"

"Kit, what is it?" Nuparu's voice asked.

"Tehreisha wants me to get out of here, to find the Mask of Life."

"Then what are you waiting for?" asked Pohatu. "Get going!"

"But-"

Tahu knelt on one knee and, firmly, but gently taking hold of the girl's upper arms and looked her in the eyes, his own like hot coals that bore into hers. "Listen to me, Kit, the only way we're going to be rid of Makuta once and for all is if we get that mask, thus Mata Nui, back. You need to go find it for all of our sakes. We'll be fine and hold the fort for as long as we can."

Kit paused and gazed at her friends worriedly. How could she possibly leave them at the mercy of a tyrannical maniac that was now the driving force of their world? Still, Tahu had a point. Someone had to go find the Kanohi Ignika. Reluctantly, she nodded and telepathically communed with Tehreisha.

"_Are you sure they're going to be okay?_"

"_Have my feelings failed you before?_"

"_In that case, get me out of here before I change my mind._"

"_I'll transport you to where the plot's main focus is to be, thus where you will find the mask and Mata Nui. But, after that, you're on your own._"

Hearing a sparkling, Kit opened her eyes to find familiar blue lights starting to swirl around her. The Toa stood back. "Take care, little friend," said Hahli. Kit simply gave her a peace sign, and she was gone—then she was back. The two Toa teams watched in confusion as their human friend and the lights kept fading in and out.

"_Tehreisha, what's happening?_"

"_It's Teridax. He's trying to interfere with the transport process. Hold on._"

After a few tries, Kit finally vanished out of sight. The rumble brought everyone remaining in the Coliseum back to the situation at hand. "Hurry!" shouted Tahu. "We have to leave. Quickly!" Toa, Matoran, and Turaga alike ran to the nearest exits, though they did wonder if there was anywhere they could run to that Makuta wouldn't find them.

* * *

Teridax was annoyed, but fleetingly. He had sensed that the human was trying to escape and attempted to stop her. At first, it seemed like it was working, but then he felt another—and far more powerful—force fighting against him. In the end, he lost her; he couldn't sense her presence anywhere in his new universe. This troubled him a little; what was that force? Kit? No, he didn't feel her even trying to resist him. So, if it wasn't the girl, what was it? 'No matter,' he decided. 'It's one less pest to bother with at the moment. And, I'm sure I'll locate that power sooner or later, and when I do it will be mine.'

* * *

Tehreisha breathed a sigh of relief. She managed to get Kit on her way out of the Matoran universe safely. No doubt Teridax was fighting to keep the girl where he could keep an eye on her, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle; despite his newfound power, he was just a character after all. "_Good luck, child, and may the power protect you,_" she prayed.


End file.
